Posted
by
samzenpus
on Monday August 23, 2010 @01:37PM
from the my-mama-no-raise-no-dummies-I-dug-her-rap dept.

In addition to helping decipher their Lil Wayne albums, the Justice Department is seeking Ebonics experts to help monitor, translate and transcribe wire tapped conversations. The DEA wants to fill nine full time positions. From the article: "A maximum of nine Ebonics experts will work with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Atlanta field division, where the linguists, after obtaining a 'DEA Sensitive' security clearance, will help investigators decipher the results of 'telephonic monitoring of court ordered nonconsensual intercepts, consensual listening devices, and other media.'”

This is an excellent development as it further legitimizes the idea that:

(a) African-Americans are a separate group that should not be assimilated;(b) African-Americans have their own culture, values and heritage that is distinct from the majority;(c) African-Americans are best treated as a self-governing cultural community within the political entity "USA".

In other words, it's a step forward for true African-American autonomy, and an implicit recognition of Pan-Nationalism [pan-nationalism.org].